MUSIC ICONS STING AND VINCE GILL PROVE TO BE AN EPIC PAIRING FOR ‘CMT CROSSROADS’

11/04/11

NASHVILLE – November 4, 2011 – Two highly-acclaimed musicians, Sting and Vince Gill, are the latest duo to take the stage for an all-new episode of CMT CROSSROADS premiering Thursday, November 24 at 8:00 p.m., ET/PT on CMT. The performance, taped earlier this year at New York City’s famed Hammerstein Ballroom, resulted in an exceptional night of rocking collaborations and in-depth interviews.

The 90-minute premiere features the duo partnering on Sting’s hits including “If I Ever Lose My Faith In You,” and “Every Breath You Take,” plus Vince Gill’s “Liza Jane” and “Whenever You Come Around.” The musical chemistry between these multiple Grammy Award winners (over 35 between them) shines on stage, especially during their chilling cover of the Everly Brothers “Let It Be Me.”

Never-before-seen interviews with the two musicians reveal their reflections on the longevity and success of their careers, thoughts on popular assumptions about the meanings of their songs, how they’ve developed as artists, and ultimately, why they continue to play music. The passion and respect both Sting and Gill possess for their craft has never come across so elegantly on a CMT CROSSROADS stage.

Composer, singer, author, actor, activist – Sting has won universal acclaim in all of these roles yet he continues to defy easy labeling. Born in Newcastle, England, Sting moved to London in 1977 and formed The Police with Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers. The band released five albums, earned six Grammy awards, and in 2003 was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Since 1985, Sting has released 12 solo albums. To commemorate the 25th anniversary of his solo career, Universal Music Group recently released Sting: 25 Years. This definitive box set collection contains three comprehensive CD’s, all re-mastered exclusively for this set and personally curated by Sting, a DVD, Rough, Raw & Unreleased, featuring previously unreleased live concert footage filmed at New York City’s Irving Plaza, and a hardcover book comprised of rare photos, complete lyrics and a written introduction by Sting. Sting: The Best of 25 Years (single CD) is also available, featuring 12 tracks representing a diverse cross-section of his enduring solo career. As one of the world’s most distinctive and highly respected performers, he has sold nearly 100 million albums from his combined work with The Police and as a solo artist and has earned an additional 10 Grammy awards, a Golden Globe, an Emmy, and three Oscar nominations. Also an accomplished author, Sting published a memoir entitled Broken Music in 2003, which spent 13 weeks on the New York Times Best Sellers list. He most recently released Lyrics, a comprehensive collection of lyrics and personal commentary, also featuring photographs from throughout his career.

One of the most admired singers in modern country music, Vince Gill has a love for country music, top-notch songwriting, and world-class guitar playing, all wrapped in a warm tenor and a quick and easy wit. Gill achieved his big breakthrough with “When I Call Your Name,” which won the Country Music Association’s Single of the Year award. Since then, he has won 17 more CMA honors, including Song of the Year four times – making him the most awarded artist in that category in CMA history. Since 1990, Gill has walked away with 20 Grammy Awards and has racked up sales in excess of 26 million. Gill co-hosted the CMA Awards for 12 consecutive years. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007. After a long and musically productive spell of writing, touring and recording with other artists, he roars back on his own with “Threaten Me With Heaven,” his first single in four years. The song is the opening salvo from his just released MCA Records album, Guitar Slinger.

CMT CROSSROADS is produced by Tom Forrest and Kathryn Russ. John Hamlin, Margaret Comeaux and Bill Flanagan serve as executive producers for CMT.

www.cmtpress.com

CMT, a unit of Viacom’s MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B), is the leading television and digital authority on country music and entertainment, reaching more than 93 million homes in the U.S. CMT and its website, CMT.com, offer an unparalleled mix of music, news, live concerts and series and is the top resource for country music on demand. The network’s digital platforms include the 24-hour music channel, CMT Pure Country, CMT Mobile and CMT VOD.